How to go
What: Sixth annual Salvation Army Dodgeball Tournament
Where: Salvation Army Springfield Ohio Corps gym, 15 S. Plum St., Springfield
When: 9 a.m. Feb. 28, a Saturday
Admission: Free for spectators. Players pay $25, and teams must have at least six players.
More info: 937-244-5262 or ryanray32@hotmail.com
It’s one of those games most of us left behind in the school gyms of our youth.
For one day each year, you can relive or make new memories with the dodgeball.
The Salvation Army Springfield Ohio Corps transforms its Plum Street gym into the retro playground of the past with its sixth annual dodgeball tournament at 9 a.m. Feb. 28 (a Saturday).
The tournament pits teams of six players against each other in a double-elimination format or “until your arm falls off,” said Salvation Army youth pastor and tournament coordinator Ryan Ray.
“People love it. The tournament has been growing since we started it. It’s a chance to be a kid again,” Ray said.
Players must be at least 15 years-old. Teams must have at least six players and as many as 10. Ray said he hopes 12-15 teams will compete.
Team registrations will be accepted through Feb. 25. The entry fee is $25 a person.
The rules follow the classic dodgeball format with a hit resulting in a player being eliminated. Head shots are illegal, and such a penalty will result in ejection.
Ray said a typical game lasts about two minutes, and the tournament takes an average of about three hours.
The defending champion team is the Springfield School of Driving, one of several area businesses to put together teams.
The top two teams earn trophies and shirts, but Ray said that’s normally a lesser aspect of the day, the top being raising funds to support various Salvation Army programs.
“People playing know it’s bigger than getting a trophy. It’s lighthearted and structured, but they mostly enjoy playing for charity with the money going back into the local community.”
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